OMRF strikes license agreement for novel liver cancer treatment

New York City-based biomedical acceleration and development company Q BioMed Inc. has entered into a final licensing agreement with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology. The agreement gives Q BioMed global exclusive rights to market and develop the new drug, according to a media release.

The drug, uttrocide B, is made with a compound that has been isolated from the leaves of Solanum nigrum Linn, also known as black nightshade, the company said. The compound has shown to be 10 times more cytotoxic, or toxic to cells, to HepG2 liver cancer cells in animals than the only drug currently on the market, the company said, and it also has shown to be more potent and to cause no noticeable side effects.

Researchers at India-based Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology identified the therapeutic effect of the compound and collaborated with Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation to further develop and commercialize it, according to the release.